Theoretical Research on Aerostatic Rectangular Guideways with Finite Difference Method

The load capacity and stiffness of the aerostatic rectangular guideways, which apply annular orifice restrictor and porous restrictor respectively, were analyzed with finite difference method in this paper. A program for solving the pressure distribution, load capacity and stiffness is programmed with VB. The calculated results show that the rise of supply pressure is good for improving the load capacity and stiffness of guideways. The decrease of the orifice diameter in annular orifice restriction and the permeability in porous restriction is advantageous to improve the stiffness of guideways, but both the corresponding bearing clearance and load capacity decrease. In both the annular restriction and porous restriction, the best film thickness which make the stiffness maximum exists under the definite supply pressure and parameter of the restrictor. Under the same supply pressure, the load capacity and stiffness of porous restriction is higher than the orifice restriction. Meanwhile, the design and manufacture of porous restrictor is simple. The porous restrictor is the perfect restrictor of aerostatic guideways.